


Follow the Mushrooms

by SparkleDragons



Series: TAZ Snippets [2]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Fae!Taako au, monster au, taako sorta kidnaps angus but it's fine, technically and amnesty au but never wrote more than this so idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-05-05 03:21:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14608173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparkleDragons/pseuds/SparkleDragons
Summary: Just a tiny snippet of a sorta amnesty au for balance i started but never really planned. Angus goes looking for fae.





	Follow the Mushrooms

**Author's Note:**

> So i was going to do a balance amnesty au long fic that didn't pan out at all. I did have this moment in my mind right away though so I wanted to write it.

The human child followed the mushroom trail Taako left dutifully, not with the curiosity typical of those who follow, but with more of a resigned determination. It was fascinating. Best as Mama tried the human residents of Kepler definitely knew something was weird about these woods. Most were more cautious. Not this kid, though.

Taako ended the trail with a good old fairy ring. Nothing like the classics. He expected the human to just wonder on in, he didn’t seem to know quite what a trail of mushrooms in the forest indicated if he was so willing to follow them. Of course Taako didn’t put a charm on the circle as would be usual. The kid wouldn’t face any repercussions if he did bumble his way in, but that wasn’t the point.

He didn’t enter the ring. Stopped right at the edge and looked around as if he expected something. Taako resigned himself to sit and watch from the edge of the trees in the small clearing, a bit of fae magic never hurt to keep himself hidden either. The human circled the ring of mushrooms a few times, glancing into the forest as he did. He paused momentarily when he looked where Taako was and for a second he thought he’d seen him somehow. The kid moved on, though, until he’d reached where he started. He looked frustrated and Taako was getting bored.

“It’s dangerous to wander the woods alone. What’s your name, pumpkin?” The kid nearly jumped out of his pants when Taako spoke up. He whipped around to face him, face surprisingly calm. Taako put on his best human-esk smile and tilted his head in what he hoped read as curiosity. It’d been a while since he’d interacted with a human who didn’t know what he was.

“With all due respect, Sir. I’m no chump. The first rule of interacting with the fae is not to give them your name.” The boy looked up at him with an almost smug expression and pushed up his dorky, round glasses. That… was not the response Taako was expecting.

~~~~~

Angus knew he was facing a fairy as soon as the man? creature? made himself known. He carried himself in a way that was distinctly nonhuman and his smile… well it was frankly a bit too cheshire to be real. Wrap that up with he appeared at the end of a mushroom trail, next to a fairy ring and it wasn’t hard to piece together.

“You are fae, right sir?”

The creature before him shifted his gaze around, before going back to fixating on Angus. Angus didn’t flinch as it’s eyes shifted to deep purple voids and it’s teeth grew sharper than any natural creature’s. “That answer you question, kiddo?”

Angus hummed a confirmation, he didn’t want this thing to see how scared he was.

“You haven’t answered my question yet,” the fea said, bending down to be at eye level with Agnus.

“I’m sorry but I don’t plan to give my name out yet,” Angus said. “But if you have other questions I’d be happy to comply.”

The fea hummed. “What’r you doing this far in the forest? Kepler’s a few miles back that way.” He points in the direction behind Angus.

“I’m just-uh-exploring,” Angus says. That’s a believable lie he thinks.

The fairy sighs. “I hate when you humans do that.”

“Um. What, sir?”

“Lie. If you answer my question I’ll let you ask another one. Fun little game we can play.”

Angus isn’t dumb. He knows playing games with fae is a death wish, but he wasn’t even sure they existed until just now so what was the harm. He wanted to find one, and he did. If this is how this game is gonna be played he’ll go along.

“Fine. I was looking for fae.”

“Mmm. Did pretty well on that account, huh, pumpkin?” The fae crouched down and let itself drop to sit on the forest floor. It’s grin was a bit more intimidating now that it’s mouth was full of needlepoint teeth. “Got a question for me?”

“Do /you/ have a name?”

“Well that’s just not fair, is it?”

“I’ll tell you my name when I feel ready to. I promise.”

The fae gave Angus a look with narrowed eyes. His grin widened ever so slightly. Shit. Agnus just made a promise to a fairy.

“Alright, bubalah,” the creature said. “It’s a deal.” Shit. “I’m Taako. My turn to ask something, right?”

“That sounds correct, Sir.”

“Why were you looking for the fae?”

Agnus figured that was a pretty reasonable question, though he didn’t have much interest in answering.

“I’m… trying to get somewhere,” he had to phrase this right, “new.”

The fae, Taako?, gave him a look that seemed almost untrusting. “You know what fae do when they take people, right kiddo?”

“Sorry, Sir, but I do believe it’s my turn to ask a question,” Angus said, possibly pushing his luck. He was pretty sure fairies kept to their deals but he could never be sure.

Taako gave him a bored expression and gestured for him to go ahead.

“Why haven’t you taken me yet?”

This seemed to take the fairy aback a little. He gave Angus a curious look, like he was trying to figure out his motives. Angus kept his face even. He wasn’t gonna give this fae anything, he knew what to look for so he knew what to hide.

“You’re not a very good liar.” Taako made a face. “Even for a human, you know?” He sighed a bit and scratched his chin with fingers far too long to be normal. “I guess I don’t really feel like it. Also I’ve got some deals with some people not to take anyone around here so you got that working for you.” The fairy waved his hand around as if it were perfectly normal for a fae to not want to take people.

It was really quite strange, and wasn’t his goal here to get taken eventually anyways. Taako had a look in his… eyes? that Angus felt was trustworthy. Or, as trustworthy as any fae could get.

“Angus McDonald,” he said plainly, as if he wasn’t just signing away his life to an eldritch, probably ancient, evil creature.

Taako instantly perked up at Angus’s name. His mouth spit into a wide grin full of horribly sharp fangs. “Do you want to come with me, Angus McDonald?” His tone had changed. Rather than the lilting drawl he had before, it now had undertones of something dark and powerful. Angus’s skin prickled at the raw magic coursing over him as the creature spoke his name. He wanted so desperately to say yes to this thing, but it was strange. He felt like he could say no if he wanted to and leave unharmed. This wasn’t quite what he expected.

Angus gave into the pull. “Yes.”

He looked into the dark voids that were the fairy’s eyes and felt it absorbing his conciseness. His eyes glossed over and he lost his train of thought.  
  


~~~~~

Taako watched the kid, Angus, as his power took over. He’d left room for him to say no. He knows this kid could have denied his offer if he’d wanted to, but watching his eyes unfocus and his posture slump still made Taako feel a little bad. Fae magic was a hell of a drug.

He took Angus’s hand and lead him deeper into the woods. Lup is gonna fucking kill me, he thought, looking down at the small boy following him blindly and without thought.

What ever he was running from, he’d be safe now. He’d be safe at the lodge.


End file.
